,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dejb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #i1 #bjaf  
,mrs4 ,black 7for herself and ,mr4      
,bishop of ,utah7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to amend title #bh1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to allow for a stay of   
,federal district court actions pending 
resolution of unsettled and ambiguous   
questions of ,state law1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,pullman ,act4  #b4 
,stay of ,federal district court actions
  7a7 ,in general ,chapter #aaa of title
 #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended 
by adding at the end the following3     
#affj4 ,stay of actions to resolve      
issues of ,state law  7a7 ,stay ,when a 
civil action before a ,united ,states   
district court involves a challenge to  
an unsettled and ambiguous question of  
,state law on ,federal constitutional   
grounds1 the district court--  7#a7 may1

 and should1 stay the action1 pending   
resolution of the question of ,state    
law1 if-- 7,a7 resolution of the        
unsettled and ambiguous question of     
,state law could avoid the need to reach
 the ,federal constitutional issue or   
materially change the nature of the     
,federal constitutional issue2 and  7,b7
 there are adequate means under ,state  
law to resolve the unsettled question of
 ,state law2 and  7#b7 may certify the  
question of ,state law to the           
appropriate court of that ,state4  7b7  
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,state ,the term ,state means any of the
 several ,states1 the ,district of      
,columbia1 or any commonwealth1         
territory1 or possession of the ,united 
,states4  7#b7 ,state law ,the term     
,state law means the law of any ,state4 
4  7b7 ,appeals from interlocutory      
orders ,section #abib7;a7 of title #bh1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  7#d7  
,interlocutory orders of such district  

courts or the judges thereof refusing   
the stay of an action under section     
#affj7;a74  4  7c7 ,conforming amendment
 ,the table of sections for chapter #aaa
 of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended by adding at the end the       
following new item3  #affj4 ,stay of    
actions to resolve issues of ,state law4
  4  7d7 ,effective date ,the amendments
 made by this section shall apply to any
 civil action that is pending on1 or is 
commenced on or after1 the date of the  
enactment of this ,act4